“Masterful Performance” by Mike Wiley
Raleigh, N.C. … In an acting tour de force, one man, Mike Wiley, performs all 36 roles in the feature film “Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till.” Wiley and the North Carolina filmmakers deliver riveting performances in the story, trial, and unbelievable confessions of those accused of Emmett Till’s murder in this 1955 tragedy which changed the course of history in the United States.
A review of the film by the 20th Pan African Film Festival reports: “A masterful performance by Mike Wiley.” Deirdre Haj, Executive Director of the Full Frame Film Festival says: “Mike Wiley’s ability to transform himself into many characters carries this film much farther than the usual acting triumph of multiple characters…” See the review at:
http://www.wix.com/robunderhill/darhemovie#!reviews
The official movie trailer for “Dar He” can be viewed at www.DarHeMovie.com
Two and a half years in the making by award winning North Carolina filmmakers, the World and European premieres are now set for “Dar He”. A screening for North Carolina media has been added to the calendar.
World Premiere: Will be hosted by the 20th Pan African Film Festival on Friday, Feb. 17, in Los Angeles, Calif. With annual attendance in excess of 40,000 people, PAFF is the largest, most prestigious international Black film festival in the U.S. http://2012.paff.org/
European Premiere: Will be held at the 27th Black International Cinema, Berlin, Germany. The Festival runs May 2 – 6, 2012. http://www.black-international-cinema.com/BIC12/bic_12.htm
N.C. Media Preview: An industry preview and media screening will be held in Raleigh, N.C. on Feb. 13 (call Media Contact for reservation details).
“Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till” was adapted from the critically acclaimed one man show written and performed by local theatre heavyweight, Mike Wiley, similarly titled “Dar He: The Story of Emmett Till.” It is a true-crime drama of a 14-year old Black boy from Chicago murdered for allegedly whistling at a White woman while visiting family in Money, Mississippi in 1955. The screenplay was crafted from public record and the historic interviews conducted by William Bradford Huie of Look magazine. When the story was published, it became a lightning rod across the nation for moral outrage. “His death was a spark that ignited the Civil Rights Movement in America,” Ed Bradley, Emmy Award-winning journalist.
“Dar He” was created by acclaimed North Carolina filmmakers who collaborated on other films including, “Empty Space” (2009) and “Wolf Call” (2010). These films are winners of fifteen festival awards, eight nominations, dozens of official selections, special screenings, and other honors. “Wolf Call” is currently on festival tour and nominated for a Black Reel Award for Outstanding Short Film. The international success of both these films helped inspire the making of “Dar He”. Mr. Wiley is winner of numerous best actor awards from 2009 to 2011 for his performance in both films, including Best Actor at the 25th Black International Cinema Berlin and Best Actor at the Carrboro Film Festival in 2009 and 2010.
Meet the North Carolina filmmakers
Rob Underhill: Director and co-writer of the screenplay “Dar He.” Underhill loves to “collaborate with artists of all types to produce dynamic, meaningful works that tell the story with impact while speaking to the vast interconnectedness of the human experience.” He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from North Carolina State University. Underhill’s films have screened at scores of festivals, and he has received many festival, Telly and other awards for his work. Underhill began with building theatre productions from the ground up beginning in 1998. In 2004 he incorporated Wake Drama, his nonprofit production house. He currently lives in Raleigh, N.C. www.RobUnderhill.com
Mike Wiley: Star, author and co-writer of the screenplay “Dar He.” Wiley, an N.C. based playwright, director and actor is a MFA graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. A specialist in documentary theatre, he is the 2010 Lehman Brady Visiting Joint Chair Professor in Documentary Studies and American Studies at Duke University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. As founder of Mike Wiley Productions, he currently tours seven original plays. He has appeared on Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and National Geographic Channel and has been featured in Our State magazine, on WUNC-TV’s “North Carolina Now” and “The State of Things” in addition to being named Tar Heel of the Week by the (Raleigh, N.C.) News and Observer. “The Parchman Hour”, Wiley’s newest work, was featured in workshop as the finale event of the Freedom Riders 50th anniversary commemoration this past May in Jackson, Miss. Mike resides in Pittsboro, N.C. www.MikeWileyProductions.com
Aravind Ragupathi: Cinematographer and co-producer for “Dar He.” Ragupathi is an independent, award-winning cinematographer and producer. He has an extensive portfolio as a cinematographer that includes features, narratives and music videos for leading film production houses. His Interest in American history and culture has enabled him to collaborate and produce very compelling stories that involves the American Civil War, African-American history, the Civil Rights Movement and neo- American stories. Ragupathi has traveled coast-to-coast working, collaborating and consulting on various projects, including festival, Telly and Emmy award-winning productions. He has worked in New York, Ohio, Kansas, Virginia, San Francisco and North Carolina. He is a resident of Durham, N.C. http://www.aravinddp.org
Larry Gardner: Editor and Visual Effects for “Dar He.” Following Gardner’s education at North Carolina State University, he made a career as consultant and chief engineer for major radio stations. He cut his first feature-length film in 1977 while working in radio and managing a recording studio. Larry started Videofonics in Raleigh (now Trailblazer Studios) and “kept editing”. Gardner didn’t like analog, so he patented one of the first digital editing systems in the world, and went on to win Cleo, Addy, Telly, and New York Art Directors Club awards for his films and commercials. Later Mr. Gardner founded Digifonics, a digital consulting and production company. Gardner “pours extra technical and creative resources into putting together independent films for the pure joy of advancing the art.” He lives in Apex, N.C. http://digifonics.com/
Media Contact:
Rob Underhill/Director 919-649-7218 DarHeMovie@gmail.com
